For stories of ghosts and hauntings in
northern Illinois and in the Great Chicagoland region, readers are also
recommended to see our section on Weird & Haunted
Illinois!

There are a number
of American cities that make the claim of being the "most haunted".
but in my opinion, Chicago comes out far ahead of all of the others.
As far as "ghosts per capita", no other city can boast even close to
the number of ghosts found in Chicago. The pages below will not only
highlight the best of the city's ghost stories and haunted
places, but our dark history of gangsters, disasters, brutal
murders, violent deaths, strange disappearances and more!Welcome to Weird & Haunted Chicago ... Read on if you Dare!

Experience the Ghosts, Local Legends & Best Kept
Secrets of the Windy City!Weird Chicago Tours!

WEIRD CHICAGO

The Last Days of a Weird Chicago
Landmark!The
House of CrossesA look at the
strange history and fabled past of one of the most
bizarre houses in Chicago and Illinois history! See this
exclusive article from Troy Taylor and the Weird Chicago
Tours about the final days of the House of Crosses.

CHICAGO'S DARK
HISTORY,
CRIME & DISASTER!

THE FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE
Perhaps one of the most brutal events in all of Chicago history took
place when the city was only beginning. The terrible incident has become
known as the Fort Dearborn Massacre and memories of it still linger in the
city today in both Chicago's history -- and its ghosts!

EIGHTY ACRES OF HELL
The Confederate Prison of Camp Douglas ---
Camp Douglas, located on the south side of Chicago, became a place of
brutal misery to many Confederate prisoners during the Civil War. Rumors
of crowded and unhealthy conditions, along with death and disease, were
widely circulated in the southern press during the war. The camp soon
earned what many people would consider a fitting nickname... “Eighty
Acres of Hell”.

According the legend, the Great Chicago Fire was started by a cow that
belonged to an Irishwoman named Catherine O’Leary. Regardless of how the fire started though, on Sunday
evening, October 8, 1871, Chicago became a city in flames.

OTHER CHICAGO FIRES
The tragic fires of the Iroquois Theater, Our Lady of Angels School
& Others --
While the Great Chicago Fire was the most famous blaze in the city’s
history, it was certainly not the deadliest... nor, some might say, was
it the most heartbreakingly tragic. In this section, we’ll take a look
at some of the city’s other terrible fires.

THE EASTLAND DISASTER
The downing of the ship and the ghosts of Harpo Studios --
One of the most devastating, and haunting, tragedies to strike Chicago
would be the capsizing of the EASTLAND steamer on July 24, 1915, between
the Clark and LaSalle Street bridges.

THE HAYMARKET SQUARE RIOT
Unrest among Laborers leads to death and violence in Chicago --
In the years after the Great Chicago Fire, wealth and prosperity returned
to Chicago, but according to many reformers and activists, that wealth
remained in the hands of the privileged few. Strikes and protests had
become commonplace by the time of the Haymarket Square Riot in 1886, but
this event would change the face of the labor movement forever.

THE "HOUSE OF WEIRD
DEATH"
The Strange stories of the Wynekoop Mansion --
The Wynekoop Mansion was
destroyed many years ago, but its memory and reputation still lingers
today... best remembered for its notorious nickname, “The House of Weird
Death”. (Pictured Police Captain John Stege)

LEOPOLD & LOEB
Chicago's own "Thrill Killers" --
On an afternoon in May 1924, the sons of two of Chicago’s wealthiest
and most illustrious families drove to the Harvard School for boys
in Kenwood and kidnapped a young boy named Bobby Franks. They
planned the "perfect crime" -- but as it turned out, it was far from
perfect.

CUSTOM HOUSE PLACE LEVEE
DISTRICT
Chicago's "Printer's Row" was once home to every sort of vice
imaginable -- and then some!
From even the early days, Chicago thrived on its reputation for being a
“wide-open town”. The Custom House vice district sprang from the ashes of
the Great Fire. For nearly 30 years, the area would be regarded as a
blight on the downtown area.

THE
SAUSAGE VAT MURDER
Adolph Luetgert and a ghost from one of Chicago's Most Horrible Crimes!
The ghost of Louisa Luetgert still
walks the now almost deserted neighborhood where her home once stood -- Killed by her own husband in one of the most
grisly ways imaginable, her ghost not only haunts this place but the legends
say that she hounded her treacherous husband -- from
Joliet Prison to the grave!

JOHN WAYNE GACY
The Twisted Crimes of the "Killer Clown" and the
supernatural elements surrounding his crimes

BACHELOR'S GROVE CEMETERYThe Most Haunted Place in Chicagoland
--- There are more ghost
stories and eerie legends told about this small, abandoned cemetery than
any other place in the Chicago area. Ask any ghost chaser where
to go to find a hauntings and chances are, this cemetery will be very
high on the list!

JANE
ADDAM'S HULL HOUSEAccording
to stories, this legendary house was once home to a "Devil
Baby".. but real ghosts may have walked here as well!

THE IRISH CASTLEThis unusual
building is located in the Chicago neighborhood of Beverly and was built
by Robert Givens in 1866 to serve as his home, a reminder of the castles
of his ancestors in Ireland. Heartbreak and tragedy shortened the owner's
stay in the house and it has since become a girl's school and now a
church. It has played host to many occupants over the years -- including
some ghosts!

GRACELAND
CEMETERYOne of the garden cemeteries created
by the removal of the graveyard where present-day Lincoln Park is now
located, Graceland became known as one of the most beautiful and most
legendary burial grounds in the city. Home to a few mysterious tales --
it's also home to the story of Inez Clarke, a ghost story that seems
too good to be true --- because it is!

MT. CARMEL CEMETERYThis predominantly Italian cemetery is
known for not only being the spot where you'll find the resting place of
Al Capone and other assorted gangsters of the Prohibition era, but also
for the grave of Julia Petta -- known in Chicago as the "Italian Bride".
Discover her strange story and ghostly legacy!

ST.
JAMES SAG CHURCH AND CEMETERYAs another ghostly spot along Chicago's
famed -- and haunted -- Archer Avenue, this churchyard has gained a
reputation for strange events, from a phantom hearse to mysterious spirits
who looked like monks and who were chased by a police officer a number of
years ago.

ARCHER
WOODS CEMETERYThis spooky and secluded cemetery is
home to the "Weeping Woman", a mysterious woman in white who has
been spotted by drivers for many years.